Electrical signaling system.



No. 7|7,|I2. Patented Dec. 30, I902.

A. 6..McKNIGHT &. A. G. MGKNIGHT, In. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING SYSTEM.

(Application filed Mat. 7, 1902.)

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Urine STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER O. MCKNIGHT, .OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND ALEXANDER O. MCKNIGHT, JR., OF ORANGE, NEW 'JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,1 12, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed March 7, 1902- 510 [til whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER (3. MO- KNIGHT, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and ALEX- ANDER O. MCKNIGHT, Jr., residing at Orange,

in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical signaling systems, particularly of the type designed for railway purposes, and has special reference to a system of this character designed for block-signaling.

As a general object the invention has in view the provision of a simple and practical arrangement of track-circuits in connection with suitable signals, either at fixed points or upon a moving train, whereby home and distant signals may be effectually operated without the employment of the numerous line-wires which are ordinarily used in railway block-signaling systems.

The present invention entirely obviates the use of line-wires of any character, while at the same time providing positive and reliable means for insuring the giving of a proper signal to indicate the condition of the home block about to be entered, as wellas of the distant block succeeding the former, thus materially insuring safety in the running of trains over a railway equipped with the present system.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a signaling system involving a novel arrangement of circuits which not only dispense with the employment of line-wires, but which permit of signals being worked on a normal danger principle, and one of the distinctive features of the invention resides in such an arrangement of circuits and controlling devices which provides for automatically operating two signalsnamely, a home and distant signaleither contiguous to the entrance of a block or on the moving train.

In a preferred form the invention contemplates a system involving the employment of a pair of visual signals on the moving train, whereby the engineer or conductor of a train about to enter a block (being called the Serial No. 97,200. (No model.)

home block under such conditions) will be notified immediately of the condition of such home block as well as of the next succeeding or distant block.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and useful form of track instrument, designed as a signal-operating inSErF ment, adapted to be arranged between the rails or at the side of the track or in any other convenient position to cooperate with a moving train, said instrument comprising separate devices or means for controlling, respectively, the home-block and distant-block signals. 6

In general the invention contemplates a signaling system in which the signals themselves may be of any approved type, as the essential feature of the invention resides in the means for controlling or actuating such sig- 7o nals.

With these and manyother objects in View, which'will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the novel arrangement of trackcircuits, and the peculiarly constructed and arranged signal-operating instruments are necessarily susceptible to a wide range of modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment of the latter is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of an electrical block-signaling system embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the track or signal operating instruments cooperating with the moving train. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view indicating in cross-section a cab of a locomotive and equipped with visual signals and controlling devices therefor, the View also indicating in cross-section one of the signal-operating instruments cooperating with the signal mechanism for controlling the visualsig- 10o nals.

Like reference characters designate come sponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention no change is required in the usual division of the track into separate blocks insulated from each other and designed to be protected by suitable signals. Hence for illustrative purposes there is only shown in the drawings a comparatively short section of track and indicating the adjoining portions of three separate blocks, one complete block and the contiguous portions of the other two blocks being illustrated. For convenience in understanding the operation of the system and the several circuits thereof, the separate blocks of the track are designated, respectively, by the letters A, B, and O, and inasmuch as the invention relates particularly to the giving of home-block and distant-block signals it will be understood that in the following description the block B will represent the home block-that is, the block about to be entered or occupied by a trainwhile the block 0 will be the distant block immediately succeeding the home block. With this general explanation of the division of the blocks the arrangement and action of the circuits will now be particularly referred to.

Each block has the same equipment of circuits, and the relation maintained between the circuits of adjacent blocks throughout the entire line of track remains the same. So in describing the connections between the blocks illustrated in the drawings it will be understood that the same arrangement and action prevail throughout the entire system. All of the apparatus or equipment of each block is designed to be placed in suitable boxingsprovided for the purpose and arranged in convenient location; but as that is a common expedient in railway signaling systems it has been deemed sufiicient for illus trative purposes to show the entire system diagrammatically.

Each block has associated therewith normally active terminal circuit-controlling magnets 1 and 2, located, respectively, at or contiguous to the opposite ends of the block, and therefore respectively contiguous to the block entrance and exit. The circuit-controlling magnet 1 has separate wire connections a a, respectively, with the separate rails of the block with which the magnet is associated and the other magnet 2 has separate wire connections b b with the separate rails of the same block, as plainly shown in the diagrammatic view of the drawings. At this point it is of course understood that in using the singular term magnet it necessarily comprehends the use of the couplet or pair of magnets ordinarily employed in electrical apparatus of this character. The two terminal magnets 1 and 2, located, respectively, at the entrance and exit of each block, may also be properly termed the primary controllingmagnets of the system, as they provide means in connection with other instrumentalities, to

rivnisa be described,for controlling and operating the home-block signal. The said terminal magnets 1 and 2 are normally energized or responsive to the current from the primary track-battery 3, having wire connections 0 0, respectively, with the separate rails of the block, and, as shown in the drawings, the wire connections a on, b b, and c c, in conjunction with the rails which form conductors, constitute connections in parallel or multiple arc.

Each of the primary terminal circuit-con trolling magnets operates a double circuitcloser. The double circuit-closer of'the controlling-magnet 1 consists of a pair of pivotally-supported armatures 4 and 5, drawn under the influence of the magnet upwardly against the contacts l and 5, respectively, and adapted when the magnet 1 is denergized to fall away from said contacts. The double circuit-closer of the terminal magnet 2 is of a similar construction, consisting of the pair of pivotally-arranged armatures 6 and 7, adapted to be held by the magnet up from and out of contact with the contacts 6 and 7, respectively, and adapted to drop upon said contacts when the magnet 2 is denergized.

In addition to the terminal magnets 1 and 2, located, respectively, at the entrance and exit of each of the blocks, the latter also has associated therewith a normally inactive secondary circuit-controlling magnet 8, having separate Wire connections d d, respectively,

with the separate rails of the block,but of a different resistance than the terminal-magnets 1 and 2 and unresponsive to or influenced by the current developed solely from the primary track-battery 3. The said secondary circuitcontrolling magnet Sis designed for use in connection with the distant block-signal and operates a circuit-closer consisting of a pivotally-supported armature 9 and a fixed contact 10, against which the armature is designed to be drawn when the magnet Sis en- In connection with the normally inergized. active secondary controlling-magnet 8 there is employed a supplemental track-battery 11, adapted to be intermittently brought into play and whose current is combined with that of the primary battery 3 to provide for energizing the secondary magnet 8 under the conditions to be presently explained.

One pole of the supplemental battery 11 has a wire connection c with one of the rails of the block, and the other pole has a battery- Wire connectionf with the contact 5 of the circuit-closer 5 5 of the next succeeding block, while the armature or movable arm 5 of said circuit-closer has a battery-wire connection g with the other rail of the block to complete a parallel or multiple-arc connection for the battery 11.

In conjunction with the electrical devices described there is also associated with each block a trackinstrument, which may be properly termed a signal-operating,instrument, as it comprises separate controlling means, re-

spectively, for the home and distant block signals. Eachsignal-operatinginstrumentisdesigned to be placed in advance of the entrance to each block, and may therefore be advantageously arranged at or near the exit of each block between the rails or at one side thereof, as may be found best suited to the particular character of signal to be operated therefrom. In its preferred construction each signal-open atinginstrument embodies a casing 12, inclosing therein the separate signal-controllers, which may be conveniently designated in their entirety, respectively, by the letters H and D, indicating that such controllers are respectively designed as controllers for the home and distant block signals. The separate signal-controllers H and D are ordinarily arranged side by side within the casing or boxing 12, as plainly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and are duplicates in construction.

Each of said signal-controllers, essentially, consists of one or a pair of electromagnets 13, a locking-armature l4, and a trip member 15. The armature 14 is arranged to play beneath the exposed core ends of the magnets 13 and is pivotally supported, as at 15, upon a suitable mounting orsupport 16 within the casing 12,and at one sideofits pivotthesaid armature 14is provided with an upstanding lock-arm 17, whose upper end is designed to play beneath and beyond the free end of the trip member 15. The trip member of each signal-controller H and D is in the form of what may be properly termed a cam-arm, having a pivotal support at or contiguous to one end, as at 18, and provided at its upper end with a swelled tread 19, held projected through a slot in the top of the casing 12 under the influence of a setting-spring 20, connected at one end to aheel extension 21 at the pivoted end of the trip member and at its other end, as at 22, to a fixed point of attachment within the casing.

The trip members 15 of the home and distant signal controllers H and D of each signal-operating instrument may be in the form of signal blades or arms themselves or may be mechanically connected with any other suitable type of signal; but in a preferred aspect of the invention these trip members of the signal-controllers may be advantageously associated with the switch mechanism of a pair of visual signals 23 and 24, which may be located Within the cab of the locomotive, or said signals may of course be arranged in any other convenient portion of a train. The said signals 23 and 24 are respectively home and distant block signals and may be conveniently in the form of suitably colored electric lamps, so that the engineer or trainman can readily identify the dili'erent signals. Each of the electric signals 23 and, 24

has circuit-wire connections with a common signal-battery 25. One pole of this battery has connected therewith a common returnwire it for both of the signals 23 and 24 and the other pole of the battery has branch-wire connections 71 and j, respectively, with the switch-levers26 and 27 of the separateswitches for the separate signals.

The switch-lever 26 cooperates with the switch-point 28 of a switch for the signal 23, and this switch-point has a wire connection with one terminal of the signal or lamp 23. The other switch-lever 27 cooperates with the switch-point 29 of the switch for the other signal 24, said switch-point having a wire connection Z with one terminal of the signal or lamp 24. The switch-levers 26 and 27 engage in the slotted upper ends 30, respectively, of the switch-adjusting stems 31" and 32, which are normally projected downward under the influence of springs 33 and are provided at their lower ends with rolling or equivalent contacts 34 for engagement with the treads 19 of the trip member 15 of the separate signal-controllers H and D.

With each signal-operatinginstrument embodying the controllers H and D there is employed a local battery 35. One pole of this battery has a wire connection m with the contact 7 of the circuit-closer of block A, which contact also has a bridge-wire connection 02 with the adjacent contact 6 The other pole of said local battery 35 has branchwire connections 0 and 19, respectively, With the magnets 13 of the controllers II and D. The other terminal of the magnets of the controller H has a wire connection q with the armature 4, controlled by the magnet 1 of block B, and the contact 4 for said armature has a bridge-wire connection 1' with the armature 6, controlled by the magnet 2 of block A. The other terminal of the magnet or magnets 13 of the controller D has a Wire connection 8 with the contact 10 of the circuit-closer operated by the secondary magnet 8 of the block 13, and the armature 9 of said circuit-closer has a wire connection i with the armature 7 of the double circuitcloser operated by the magnet 2 of the block A, thus completing the circuit connections of the separate signal-controllers.

For convenience in understanding the operation of the system it may be assumed that a train is about making an exit of block A and entering the home block, (designated by the letter 13,) with both the block B and the distant block O clear. The reference number 36 will designate one of the axles of the moving train, which bridges the rails of the track, and therefore constitutes a part of the track-circuit. With the train upon the block A, as indicated, the axles necessarily make a short circuit through the wires with the primary battery 3, and consequently deenergizing the terminal magnets l and 2, respectively, at the entrance and exit of the block. Upon the deenergization of the rear end magnet 2 of block A the armatures 6 and 7 of the double circuit-closer drop, respectively, into contact with the contacts 6and 7. The dropping of the armature 6 completes a circuit, as follows: armature 6, contact 6*, bridge-wire n, wire m, local battery 35, wire 0, magnets ICC 13 of signal-controller H, wire q, and circuit- 1 closer 4 4: of the entrance-magnet 1 of block B. The energization of the magnet 13 of the signal-controller H causes the armature of such magnet to swing the lock-arm 17 out from beneath the trip member 15, so that the train as it reaches the signal operating instrument at the eXit end of the block A will carry the switch-adjusting stem 31 against the trip member 15 of the controller H; but as such trip member is unlocked it will freely be depressed and will hence not actuate the switch for the home block 23. This will show to the engineer that the home block B is clear, and should the block 0 also be clear the entrance or terminal magnet 1 for the said block 0 will remain energized, thus keeping the double circuit-closer 4: 5 closed and permitting the supplemental battery circuit to be closed over the wires 6, f, and g and through the supplemental battery 11. This additional battery supplied to the home-block circuit energizes the secondary magnet 8, closing the circuit-closer 9 10, and completing a local circuit also through the magnets of thesignal-controller D, thereby unlocking the trip member of said signal-controller in the same manner as described for the controller H. Under such conditions neither of the switches for the signals 23 and 24: will be actuated as the stems 31 and 32 pass over the trip members of the separate controllers H and D. However, should the distant block 0 be occupied, as indicated by the axle shown in dotted lines, the entrance terminal magnet 1 of block 0 will necessarily be short-circuited, with the consequence of the double circuit-closer 4 5 being open, which necessarily breaks the supplemental battery-circuit e, f, and g and leaves the secondary magnet 8 denergized, with the consequence of providing an open circuit through the magnets of the signal-controller D. The armature of this controller D will therefore drop away from the magnets and bring the arm 17 into a locking position beneath the trip 15, so that when the stem 32 rides over such trip the same will be forced upwardly, moving the switch-lever 27 upon the switch-point 29 and closing a local circuit through the distantblock signal 24.

It will be understood from the above that the arm 17 of the home-signal controller is in locking position always until a train reaches block A and also remains in a locking position if the home block B is occupied when a train is upon block A.

From the foregoing it is thought that the operation of the system to give the proper signals as to the condition of the home and distant blocks will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the ad-,

vantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In an electrical signaling system,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having, separate signalcontrollers for home and distant block signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, a primary track-circuit including a battery and electromagnetic circuit-closing devices normally responsive to said battery and cooperating with one of the local circuits, and a secondary track-circuit including a supplemental normally open battery-circuit and an electromagnetic circuit-closer unresponsive to the battery of the primary track-circuit and cooperating with the other of said local circuits.

2. In an electrical signaling system,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers respectively for home and distant block-signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, a primary track-circuit including a battery and a normally active magnetic circuit-closer responsive to the said battery and cod peratin g with the local circuit for the home-block-signal controller, and a secondary track-circuit including a normally open supplemental battery circuit and an electromagnetic circuit-closer responsive only to the combined strength of both batteries and cooperating with the local circuit for the distant-block-signal controller.

3. In an electrical signaling system ,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers respectively for home and distant block signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, having a common local battery, a primary track-circuit including a battery and a normally active magnetic circuit-closer responsive to the said battery and cooperating with the local circuit for the homeblock-signal controller, and asecondary trackcircuit including a normally open supplemental batterycircuit and an electromagnetic circuit-closer responsive only to the combined strength of both batteries and cooperating with the local circuit for the distant-blocksignal controller.

4. In an electrical signaling system,the combination with the track-blocks, of asignal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers respectively for home and distant block signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, a primary track-circuit including a battery and normally active electromagnetic circuit-closers responsive to said battery and cooperating with the local circuit for theihome-block-signal controller, and a secondary track-circuit including a normally open supplemental battery-circuit controllable through one of the normally active instruments of the next succeeding block, and also including a normally inactive electromagnetic circuit-closer responsive only to the combined strength of both batteries and cooperating with the local circuit for the distant-block-signal controller.

5. In an electrical signalingsystem,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers respectively for home and distant block signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, a primary track-circuit including a battery and terminal electromagnetic circuit-closing devices located respectively at the entrance and exit of each block and normally responsive to said battery, the terminal electromagnetic circuit-closers at contiguous ends ofadjacent blocks having circuit-wire connections with the local circuit for the home-block-signal controller, and a secondary track-circuit including a normally open supplemental battery-circuit including a circuit-closer in the next succeeding block, said secondary track-circuit also having an electromagnetic circuit-closer energized only by the combined batteries of the track-circuits and having wire connections including a circuit-closerot the preceding block and the local circuit for the distant-signal controller.

6. In an electricalsignalingsystem,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers for home and distant block signals, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, a primary track-circuitincluding a battery and normally active terminal circuit-controlling magnets respectively at the entrance and exit of the block, normally closed double circuit-closers operated by-said terminal magnets, Wire connections including circuit-closers of adjacent blocks and the local circuit for the home-block-signal controller, a secondary track-circuit having a normally open supplemental battery-circuit including a circuit-closer of the next succeeding or distant block, said secondarycircuit also having an auxiliary magnet energized only by the combined batteries of both track-circuits, a normally open circuit-closer operated by the said magnet, and Wire connections including the latter circuit-closer, one of the circuitclosers of the preceding block, and also the local circuit for the distant-block-signal controller.

7. In anelectricalsignalingsystem,thecombination with the track-blocks, of asignal-opcrating instrumenthaving separate signalcontrollers respectively for home and distant block signals, each of said controllers having a magnetically-controlled lock for rendering the same operative or inoperative, separate local circuits for each of said controllers, and track-circuits including controlling means for each local circuit.

8. In an electrical signaling system,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers for home and distant block signals, each controller consisting of a magnet, a trip member, and a locking-armature for such trip member, separate signals associated with the separate signal-controllers, a separate local circuit for each of said controllers, and track-circuits including controlling means for each local circuit.

9. In an electrical signaling system,the combination with the track-blocks, of a signal-operating instrument having separate signalcontrollers each consisting of magnets, a pivotally-supported spring-projected trip member having a swelled tread, and a pivotal armature having a lock-arm designed to move beneath and toward said trip member, separate signals having adjusting mechanism 00- operating with the trips of the separate controllers, a local circuit for each controller,and track-circuits including controlling means for each local circuit.

10. In an electric signaling system, the combination with the track-blocks,of asignaloperating instrument having separate signalcontrollers, each consisting of magnets, a pivotal trip member havinga tread portion, and a locking-armature for said trip member, visual signals each having a circuit provided with a switch, a switch-adjusting stem for the lever of each switch, said switch-adjusting stems cooperating respectively with the trip members of the separate signal-controllers, a local circuit for each controller, and track-circuits including controlling means for each local circuit.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER O. MOKNIGHT. ALEXANDER O. MOKNIGHT, JR.

Witnesses:

IDA E. DONALDSON, JOHN E. JENKINS. 

